Please resist any suggestions not to take the Comprehensive into consideration, and that it is only a guide. Please vote to uphold the Comprehensive Plan on Z-34-25 and damn any torpedoes that may come your way as a result of your “No” vote.
There is a groundswell of opposition to Kane Realty’s request to rezone several of its properties at North Hills to allow taller buildings, up to 37 stories in some cases. Former Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane has sent an email to Council in opposition to the request.
Nancy McFarlane served on Raleigh’s City Council from 2007 through 2019, as Mayor from 2011 through 2019. She sent an email to the current City Council expressing her views on the proposed rezoning of North Hills. “Now comes the difficult part for the city council. They have a staff report that claims the proposed rezoning is compliant with the comprehensive plan. One of the tenets of the plan is the transition from dense areas to the single-family homes around them. This request does not comply with that. It does not comply with the Small Area Plan.”
I am very concerned with losing the current firehouse at the corner of Rowan Street and Six Fork Road. I googled a map of all the Raleigh fire stations, and there really is no other fire station anywhere close to the North Hills area. The removal of this station will put lives and property in significant danger as the timing to attend to fire and life emergencies will be greatly lengthened.
The rezoning has three critical inconsistencies with the Midtown area plan and the Comprehensive plan that Raleigh is supposed to use for policy guidance that is intended to shape how the city grows and develops through the year 2030. However, recent approvals by Council indicate that they follow their own rules and create greater building heights without considering consequences.
On January 6 rezoning case Z-34-25, the rezoning of North Hills, was presented to Council for approval. Council chose to hold the hearing open for a vote at their January 20 meeting. This is not a new conversation for the city. A nearly identical rezoning request was submitted in 2021 but was ultimately withdrawn after City Council members and residents raised substantial concerns. Both elected officials and the public made it clear that the proposal did not adequately address inconsistencies with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, particularly around building heights, density transitions, and the absence of meaningful affordable housing commitments.